U.S. Senator James Lankford of Oklahoma delivered the commissioning ceremony’s principal address. Kathy Taylor, former mayor of Tulsa, Oklahoma was the ship’s sponsor. The ceremony was highlighted by a time-honored Navy tradition when Taylor gave the first order to «man our ship and bring her to life!»

«This ship is named in honor of Tulsa, Oklahoma, but represents more than one city», said Secretary of the Navy Richard V. Spencer. «USS Tulsa represents an investment in readiness and lethality, and is a testament to the increased capabilities made possible by a true partnership between the Department of the Navy and our industrial base».

The USS Tulsa (LCS-16) is the second naval vessel to honor Oklahoma’s second largest city. The first USS Tulsa was an Asheville-class gunboat designated as PG-22 that served from 1923 to 1944 before being renamed Tacloban. She earned two battle stars for World War II service. A cruiser to be named USS Tulsa was also authorized for construction during World War II, but the contract was canceled before it was built.

Commander Drew A. Borovies, a native of Washington, D.C., is the commanding officer of LCS-16 and leads the core crew of 70 officers and enlisted personnel.

LCS is a highly maneuverable, lethal and adaptable ship designed to support focused mine countermeasures, anti-submarine warfare and surface warfare missions. The ship integrates new technology and capability to affordably support current and future mission capability from deep water to the littorals.

The LCS class consists of two variants, the Freedom variant and the Independence variant, designed and built by two industry teams. The Independence variant team is led by Austal USA, Mobile, Alabama, (for LCS-6 and the subsequent even-numbered hulls). The Freedom variant team is led by Lockheed Martin, Marinette, Wisconsin (for the odd-numbered hulls).

The U.S. Navy accepted delivery of the future USS Tulsa (LCS-16) during a ceremony in Mobile, Alabama, April 30.

The future USS Tulsa (LCS-16) is underway for acceptance trials, which are the last significant milestone before delivery of the Independence-variant littoral combat ship to the Navy. During trials, the U.S. Navy conducted comprehensive tests of the future USS Tulsa (LCS-16), intended to demonstrate the performance of the propulsion plant, ship handling abilities and auxiliary systems (U.S. Navy photo courtesy of Austal USA/Released)

Delivery marks the official transfer of LCS-16 from the shipbuilder, an Austal USA-led team, to the U.S. Navy. It is the final milestone prior to commissioning, which is planned for late 2018 in San Francisco.

«Today marks a significant milestone in the life of the future USS Tulsa, as transfer occurs to the Navy and she enters service», said Captain Mike Taylor, LCS program manager. «I look forward to celebrating the commissioning of this fine ship alongside the crew later this year in San Francisco».

Tulsa is the 13th Littoral Combat Ship (LCS) to be delivered to the U.S. Navy and the eighth of the Independence variant to join the fleet. The Independence variant is noted for its unique trimaran hull and its large flight deck.

«We look forward to welcoming the future USS Tulsa and crew in San Diego later this year», said Captain Matthew McGonigle, commander, LCS Squadron One (COMLCSRON ONE). «Bringing a ship to life is no small task and I commend the crew for their hard work and dedication to their ship and to the LCS community».

COMLCSRON ONE supports the operational commanders with warships ready for tasking by manning, training, equipping and maintaining littoral combat ships on the west coast.

«To see Tulsa ready for delivery, words almost can’t express the amazing work that Austal, Supervisor of Shipbuilding, Gulf Coast, and Program Executive Office Unmanned and Small Combatants, have done to get her to this point», said Commander Drew Borovies, Tulsa’s commanding officer. «Although there is still plenty of hard work ahead, we are at the point where Tulsa is ready for her crew, and I can say without hesitation that her crew is ready for Tulsa. Tulsa and her crew are ‘Tough, Ready and Able!’»

LCS is a modular, reconfigurable ship designed to meet validated fleet requirements for surface warfare, anti-submarine warfare, and mine countermeasures missions in the littoral region. An interchangeable mission package is embarked on each LCS and provides the primary mission systems in one of these warfare areas. Using an open architecture design, modular weapons, sensor systems and a variety of manned and unmanned vehicles to gain, sustain, and exploit littoral maritime supremacy, LCS provides U.S. joint force access to critical theaters.

Program Executive Office Unmanned and Small Combatants is responsible for delivering and sustaining littoral mission capabilities to the fleet.

Littoral Combat Ship (LCS) USS Tulsa (LCS-16) successfully completed acceptance trials March 9 after a series of in-port and underway demonstrations for the U.S. Navy’s Board of Inspection and Survey (INSURV).

Future USS Tulsa (LCS-16) completes acceptance trials

Acceptance trials are the last significant milestone before delivery of the ship to the U.S. Navy. During trials, the Navy conducted comprehensive tests of the future USS Tulsa (LCS-16), intended to demonstrate the performance of the propulsion plant, ship handling abilities and auxiliary systems.

«The Navy and industry trials team in Mobile executed another solid Acceptance Trials. The performance of the ship demonstrated incorporation of lessons learned and continual ship-over-ship improvements which will ultimately result in decreased cost to the Navy», said Captain Mike Taylor, LCS program manager. «Tulsa is well on track to provide needed LCS warfighting capability to the fleet and the nation».

While underway, the ship successfully demonstrated her bow thruster, twin boom extensible crane operations with the 11-meter/36-foot rigid-hull inflatable boat, completed surface and air self-defense detect-to-engage exercises and demonstrated the ship’s handling and maneuverability through high-speed steering and operation of her anchor.

USS Tulsa (LCS-16) will be commissioned into service following delivery, an industrial post-delivery availability and a post-delivery availability that is focused on crew training, certifications and familiarization exercises in Mobile. The ship will be homeported in San Diego with sister ships USS Independence (LCS-2), USS Coronado (LCS-4), USS Jackson (LCS-6), USS Montgomery (LCS-8), USS Gabrielle Giffords (LCS-10), USS Omaha (LCS-12), and the future USS Manchester (LCS-14), which delivered February 28 and will be commissioned on May 26 in Portsmouth, New Hampshire.

Several more Independence-variant ships are under construction at Austal USA in Mobile. USS Charleston (LCS-18), USS Cincinnati (LCS-20), USS Kansas City (LCS-22), USS Oakland (LCS-24) and USS Mobile (LCS-26) are in varying stages of construction. In addition to these hulls, contracts for USS Savannah (LCS-28) and LCS-30 were awarded to Austal in 2017.

LCS is a modular, reconfigurable ship designed to meet validated fleet requirements for surface warfare, anti-submarine warfare, and mine countermeasures missions in the littoral region. An interchangeable mission package is embarked on each LCS and provides the primary mission systems in one of these warfare areas. Using an open architecture design, modular weapons, sensor systems and a variety of manned and unmanned vehicles to gain, sustain, and exploit littoral maritime supremacy, LCS provides U.S. joint force access to critical theaters.

Program Executive Office Littoral Combat Ships is responsible for delivering and sustaining littoral mission capabilities to the fleet.

Admiral William F. Moran, vice chief of naval operations, delivered the ceremony’s principal address. Kathy Taylor, former mayor of Tulsa, was serving as the ship’s sponsor. The ceremony was highlighted by Taylor observing a time-honored U.S. Navy tradition of breaking a bottle of sparkling wine across the bow to formally christen the ship. «The christening of the future USS Tulsa serves as a tribute to the extraordinary work done by our nation’s shipbuilders and brings this great ship one step closer to joining our fleet», said the Honorable Sean Stackley, acting secretary of the U.S. Navy. «Our nation can be proud of this crew as they ready the ship to represent the city of Tulsa and the United States, around the world for years to come». The future USS Tulsa (LCS-16) is the second U.S. Navy ship to be named in honor of the city of Tulsa. The first USS Tulsa was an Asheville-class gunboat designated as PG-22 that served from 1923 to 1944 before being renamed Tacloban. She earned two battle stars for World War II service. A cruiser to be named USS Tulsa was also authorized for construction during World War II, but the contract was canceled before it was built. The future USS Tulsa (LCS-16) is a fast, agile, focused-mission platform designed for operation in near-shore environments yet capable of open-ocean operation. It is designed to defeat asymmetric «anti-access» threats such as mines, quiet diesel submarines and fast surface craft. The LCS class consists of two variants, the Freedom variant and the Independence-variant – designed and built by two industry teams. The Freedom-variant team is led by Lockheed Martin (for the odd-numbered hulls, e.g. LCS-1) while the Independence variant team is led by Austal USA (for LCS-6 and the subsequent even-numbered hulls). Each LCS seaframe is outfitted with a single mission package made up of mission modules containing warfighting systems and support equipment. A dedicated ship crew will combine with aviation assets to deploy manned and unmanned vehicles and sensors in support of mine countermeasures, anti-submarine warfare or surface warfare missions.

Austal hosted a keel-laying ceremony for the future USS Tulsa (LCS-16) at the Mobile, Alabama shipyard on January 11, marking the first significant milestone in the ship’s construction. This ship is the sixth Independence-variant Littoral Combat Ship (LCS) built at Austal under the 10-ship, $3.5 billion block buy contract awarded to Austal in 2010.

LCS-16 Keel Authentication

Ship sponsor Kathy Taylor, former Tulsa mayor and CEO of Impact Tulsa, authenticated the keel by welding her initials onto an aluminum plate that will be placed in the hull of the ship.

«It amazes me how fast this ship is coming together», Austal USA President Craig Perciavalle said. «The speedy construction of this amazing ship is evidence of the rapid maturity of Austal’s LCS program, a testament to the extreme level of talent and experience displayed by Austal’s shipbuilding team».

Austal’s LCS program delivered USS Independence (LCS-2) in 2009, USS Coronado (LCS-4) in 2013, and USS Jackson (LCS-6) in 2015. Six additional LCS are under construction at the Mobile, Alabama shipyard. Montgomery (LCS-8) and Gabrielle Giffords (LCS-10) are preparing for builders trials later this year. Omaha (LCS-12) was christened December 19, and Manchester (LCS-14) will complete final assembly and prepare for launch later this year. Modules for Charleston (LCS-18) are under construction as well.

Austal is also building 10 Expeditionary Fast Transports (EPF) for the U.S. Navy under a $1.6 billion block-buy contract. USNS Trenton (EPF-5) marked the fifth vessel in this class to be delivered since the inception of the program. Both USNS Spearhead (EPF-1) and USNS Millinocket (EPF-3) are currently deployed supporting Naval fleet operations.

LCS delivers combat capability from core self-defense systems in concert with rapidly interchangeable, modular mission packages and an open architecture command and control system